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Napoli are the current champions of Italy.
Their current squad list glitters with star names like Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and reigning Serie A Player of the Season Scott McTominay, who placed 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote.
However, Napoli will be eliminated from the Champions League if they lose at home to Chelsea next week. A draw could also knock Napoli out, depending on results elsewhere.
Napoli at risk of becoming the biggest victims of the new Champions League format
Since UEFA introduced its new league phase format, the prospect of an elite team failing to reach the knockout stage has seemingly become less likely than ever.
The biggest name eliminated at the end of the league phase last season was RB Leipzig, who departed alongside Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna, Red Star, Sturm Graz, Sparta Prague, Girona, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys.
This season, the guest list of early exits could be far more distinguished. Villarreal – ranked third in La Liga – are already out, having taken just one point from their first seven Champions League games.
Ajax and Benfica are both in serious danger, sitting 32nd and 29th with one week of fixtures remaining. Meanwhile, 1993 champions Marseille and 2004 finalists Monaco could also fail to go through if they lose their final game of the league phase.
Should Napoli go out at this stage, they would have to be considered the biggest losers of the new Champions League era.
Champions League table
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Arsenal | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 21 |
| 2. Bayern Munich | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 18 |
| 3. Real Madrid | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 15 |
| 4. Liverpool | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
| 5. Tottenham | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| 6. PSG | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 |
| 7. Newcastle | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 |
| 8. Chelsea | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
| 9. Barcelona | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
| 10. Sporting | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
| 11. Man City | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| 12. Atletico Madrid | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| 13. Atalanta | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| 14. Inter Milan | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 15. Juventus | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
| 16. Dortmund | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| 17. Galatasaray | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| 18. Qarabag | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 10 |
| 19. Marseille | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| 20. Leverkusen | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | −4 | 9 |
| 21. Monaco | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | −6 | 9 |
| 22. PSV Eindhoven | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 23. Athletic Bilbao | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −4 | 8 |
| 24. Olympiacos | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −5 | 8 |
| 25. Napoli | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −5 | 8 |
| 26. Copenhagen | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −6 | 8 |
| 27. Club Brugge | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −5 | 7 |
| 28. Bodo/Glimt | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −2 | 6 |
| 29. Benfica | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −4 | 6 |
| 30. Pafos | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −6 | 6 |
| 31. Union SG | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −10 | 6 |
| 32. Ajax | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −12 | 6 |
| 33. Frankfurt | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −9 | 4 |
| 34. Slavia Prague | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | −11 | 3 |
| 35. Villarreal | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | −10 | 1 |
| 36. Kairat | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | −14 | 1 |
Chelsea and Napoli’s Champions League results this season
| Chelsea | Napoli |
|---|---|
| Lost 3-1 away at Bayern Munich | Lost 2-0 away at Man City |
| Won 1-0 at home vs Benfica | Won 2-1 at home vs Sporting |
| Won 5-1 at home vs Ajax | Lost 6-2 away at PSV |
| Drew 2-2 away at Qarabag | Drew 0-0 at home vs Frankfurt |
| Won 3-0 at home vs Barcelona | Won 2-0 at home vs Qarabag |
| Lost 2-1 away at Atalanta | Lost 2-0 away at Benfica |
| Won 1-0 at home vs Pafos | Drew 1-1 away at Copenhagen |
Champions League permutations mean Chelsea are also desperate for three points
But will Napoli get knocked out? They have not lost at home in any competition since 2024. Their home Champions League games this season have seen them beat Sporting and Qarabag, either side of a 1-1 draw with Frankfurt.
The problem for Napoli is that on matchday eight they will come up against a Chelsea side that are also desperate for three points.
Chelsea are currently eighth in the table and will be keen to remain in the top eight in order to secure direct passage to the round of 16 and avoid an extra fixture pile-up in February.
A win for Chelsea would likely move them slightly higher than eighth, but any other result would almost certainly see them drop into the play-off round – while also opening up the possibility of them facing Arsenal, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid if they reach the round of 16.
Chelsea and Napoli have only met twice before but they have a whole lot of history
For two clubs who have only met twice in competitive action, the backstory between Chelsea and Napoli is deliciously rich – both on and off the pitch.
Their last meeting helped set Chelsea on the path to the biggest night in their history. The clubs were drawn together in the Champions League round of 16 in 2012, with Napoli winning the first leg 3-1 in Naples.
That defeat proved a major factor in Chelsea’s decision to sack Andre Villas-Boas just 12 days later. Roberto Di Matteo was placed in charge as caretaker manager, and he immediately steadied the ship. Chelsea won the return leg 4-1 after extra time at Stamford Bridge to progress – and Di Matteo ultimately led them to their first Champions League title that season.
That is partly why next week’s rematch feels bigger than a league-stage game. Napoli can turn the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona into a cauldron again, while Chelsea can point to their own history of surviving the chaos that followed – and coming out the other side as champions of Europe.
There is also a modern edge to the storyline, starting with Napoli coach Antonio Conte. Conte delivered Chelsea’s last Premier League title in 2017 and won the FA Cup the following season, but his spell ended in acrimony. Whether you see him as hero or villain at Stamford Bridge, he is a manager who thrives on emotion and confrontation – and a must-win European night against his old club is exactly the sort of stage he relishes.
Another link could arise during this January transfer window, as Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling is reportedly a target for Napoli.
Then there is Romelu Lukaku, whose Chelsea story remains one of the most complicated in recent Premier League memory. Chelsea broke their transfer record to re-sign him from Inter for £97.5 million in 2021, and Lukaku spoke like a man living the dream, saying: “I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.”
It did not take long for the reunion to sour. Less than a year later, he took part in an unsanctioned Sky Italia interview in which he said he was unhappy and spoke openly about wanting to return to Inter Milan.
Lukaku’s final Chelsea appearance came in May 2022, but he did not leave the club permanently until August 2024 when Napoli paid Chelsea £30m to sign him. He scored 14 league goals in his first season for Napoli, helping fire them to the Serie A title.
He has yet to feature so far this term due to injury and fitness issues. It would be some timing if he were to make his return against his former club on Wednesday night.
